Method of and apparatus for removing camber from metal strips



May 16, 1961 E. SIMICH ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMO 2,984,285 VING CAMBER FROM METAL STRIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1956 3% imam IRUGYYZLOTSP 3 Emil 5277M mm M 1530 mie s nit METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CAMBER FROM METAL STRIPS Filed Dec. 5, 1956, Ser. No. 626,461

7 Claims. (Cl. 153--86) This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for removing from strip steel and the like the lateral curvature, known as camber, which is sometimes produced in the rolling and slitting process as a result of uneven rolling pressures, or of unequal stresses set up in the metal during the slitting operation or during annealing and coating operations. Notwithstanding the great care which is taken in the manufacture of steel to prevent the development of camber or to minimize its extent, it frequently occurs to an objectionable degree and in an uneven amount and interferes with the proper use of the strip metal for some purposes.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved method and novel means for removing camber frorn strip metal even when it is present to an extreme degree. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for removing lateral curvature from a metal strip which varies in width from point to point along its length. Another object is to provide means for progressively stretching longitudinally the opposite edge portions of a metal strip until the strip is longitudinally straight. Still another object of the invention is to provide means for stretching the opposite edge portions of a metal strip and regulating the degree of stretching in different stages of the process. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and means for removing camber from strip metal and for controlling any tendency of the strip to twist about a longitudinal axis. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of the apparatus and to details of the method which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a somewhat schematic top plan View of one form of apparatus embodying the present invention and capable of use in carrying out the improved method;

Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of more complete apparatus embodying the primary features of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows an end elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2, looking toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The invention is illustrated in simplified form in Fig. 1 where it is shown as comprising two long parallel side plates or blocks 10 and 11 which are capable of relative lateral movement and which are provided with means for supporting and guiding the metal strip 12 which is moved endwise along a predetermined planar datum path rates atent I in the direction of the arrow 13 by power driven rolls '14 engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the strip. Four rollers '15 are mounted on the plate 10 to engage one edge 12a of the strip 12 and similar rollers 16 are mounted on the plate 11 to engage the edge 12b of the strip. The plate -11 is actuated by compressed air applied to cylinders 17 having pistons which operate the piston rods 12'; connected to the plate so that the rollers 16 engage with resilient pressure the edges 12b of the strip.

Mounted on the vertical face of the plate or block 10 are two pairs of spaced rollers 24 and 25, one roller of each pair engaging the upper surface of the strip and the other roller of each pair engaging the lower surface of the strip, both adjacent to the edge 12a. Similarly, the plate or block 11 carries on its vertical face two pairs of spaced rollers 26 and 27 which have a staggered relationship to the rollers 24 and 25 and which are arranged to contact the metal strip adjacent to the edge 12b thereof in the same general manner as the rollers 24 and 25.

Two rollers 20 are mounted on the plate 10 on opposite sides of the rollers 24, one contacting the upper surface of the strip and the other contacting its lower surface. Similarly, two rollers 21 are mounted on the plate Ht on opposite sides of the rollers 25 where one contacts the upper surface of the strip and the other contacts its lower surface. The rollers 24 and 25 are so mounted that they deflect the edge portion of the metal strip upwardly and then downwardly in sinusoidal fashion between the rollers 20 and 21, respectively, and temporarily out of'the predetermined datum path thereby stretching the edge portion 12a of the metal strip longitudinally. In a similar manner, two rollers 22 and two rollers 23 are mounted on the vertical face of the plate 11 to engage the opposite surfaces of the metal strip between the rollers of the two pairs 26 and 27, respectively to hold the strip in the planar datum path. The rollers 26 and 27 thus deflect the edge portion 12b of the metal strip in sinusoidal fashion between the lower rollers of each pair, so that the metal strip at and adjacent to the edge 12b is temporarily deflected out of its planar path and is stretched longitudinally asthe metal strip is moved endwise.

There is thus brought about a progressive stretching of the edge portions of the strip which is effected in alternate stages at and adjacent to the opposite edges of the strip, with the result that the metal strip which initially had a lateral curvature, as shown on an exaggerated scale at 28, emerges from the apparatus in longitudinally straight form. The pairs of rollers 24, 25, 26 and 27 are mounted for independent vertical adjustment so that the degree of stretching effected in any stage may be regulated to cause a straight strip to be produced by the successive stages in which the opposite edge portions of the strip are alternately stretched. The vertical adjustment in pairs of one roller 24] and its adjacent roller 24 or one roller 21 and its adjacent roller 25 or one roller 22 and its adjacent roller 26 or one roller 23 and its adjacent roller 27, without adjustment of the vertical spacing of these rollers relative to each other in each pair, permits regulation of the line of travel in the region of these rollers so that any tendency of the strip to twist may thereby be corrected.

The apparatus which has been described with reference to Fig. 1 is shown as being embodied in a more complete mechanical structure in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive. As there illustrated, the plates or blocks 10 and 11 are mounted on inverted channel shaped frame members 30 which are adapted to rest upon a suitable support and which are connected at their rear ends by a longitudinal frame member in the form of an angle bar 31. The plate or block 10 is secured to the upper sides of the forward ends of the members 30 and it has secured therein two rearwardly extending guide rods 32 which have a sliding engagement with apertures formed in the plate or block 11. The block 11 is thus capable of relative movement with respect to the block 10 to cause the rolls 15 and 16 to contact the edges of the metal strip which may vary in width. The rollers 15 and 16 are mounted on vertical shafts 33 and 34, respectively, mounted in the members it} and Ill and they project through slots in these members, as shown in Fig. 4, to engage the edges of the metal strip 12 which is moved longitudinally by the feed rolls 14 in a plane above the plane of the rods 32.

Instead of using a pair of air cylinders 17 for moving the block 11, as shown in Fig. l, the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, comprises a single cylinder 35 for performing this function. This cylinder is pivoted at 36 on a bracket 37 secured to the frame member 31 and it has mounted therein a piston adapted to be actuated by compressed air or the like to reciprocate the piston rod 38 which is pivoted at 39 on a lever 49. This lever is in the form of a fiat plate pivoted at 41 on the adjacent frame member 30 and it has one corner portion pivotally connected at 42 to a link 43 which has its other end pivotally connected at 44 to a stud 45 fixed in the block 11 adjacent one end thereof. The pivotal movement of the lever 40 is thus adapted to move the block 11 toward or from the block it} and, in order to apply this moving force evenly, the lever 40 has an operating connection to the other end portion of the block 11. For this purpose an adjustable connecting rod 47 is pivoted at 48 to the lever 40, between the pivots 39 and 41, and is pivotally connected at 49 to a bell-crank lever 50 located adjacent the other end of the plate or block 11. This lever 50 is pivoted at 51 to the adjacent frame member 30 and it has a laterally extending arm Stla which is pivotally connected at 52 to another link 43 having a pivotal connection at 44 to a second stud 45 secured in the plate or block 11.

A coil spring 54 has one end attached to a collar 55 secured on the rod 47 and its other end is secured at 56 to the adjacent frame member 30. This spring acts normally to move the rod 47 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, thereby rocking the levers 4-0 and 50 about their pivots to actuate the links 43 and retract the-block 11. When compressed air or other fluid is admitted to the right hand end of the cylinder 35, as viewed in Fig. 2, the levers 4t} and 50 are rocked toward the left against the tension of the spring 54, thereby moving the block 11 toward the block 10 and causing the rollers 15 and 16 to bear with a yielding pressure on the edges of the metal strip 12.

Each of the rollers 24, 25, 26 and 27 is mounted on an eccentric so that its position may be adjusted transversely to the plane of the metal strip in order to regulate the character and degree of the stretching which is effected at the spaced points where stretching takes place. This adjustable mounting is the same for each of these rollers and a description of the mounting of the roller 27 will sufiice for all of them (see Figs. and 6). This roller 27 comprises an outer ring 27a having an outer cylindrical surface adapted to contact the metal strip 12 and an inner annular raceway 27b engaged by an annular series of spherical bearing balls 270 which travel in an annular raceway 27d formed in the outer surface of an inner ring 272. The inner ring 272 is mounted to rotate on the cylindrical portion 6% of a shaft 60 which has an eccentric cylindrical portion 6% mounted in a cylindrical aperture 11a formed in the plate or block 11. The inner end of the inner ring 27c bears against an an nular shoulder 11b formed on the block 11 and the outer end of this ring 27a is engaged by a washer 61 which fits over the outer end of the bearing portion 60a of the shaft. A circular plate 62 is apertured to fit on the reduced extremity 680 of the shaft on the outer side of the washer 61 and this plate is secured on the shaft by a stud 63 which engages a threaded recess 60d in the end of the shaft and which has its head seated against a washer 65 within a recess 62a which is formed in the plate.

The shaft 66 has a reduced threaded portion 60d projecting from the block 11 on the side thereof opposite the roller 27 and this extremity of the shaft has a recess ride of rectangular cross-section extending inwardly from the end thereof for engagement by a wrench, whereby the shaft may be turned to rotate in its bearing the portion 6% of the shaft which is eccentrically located with respect to the bearing portion etla, thereby adjusting the position of the roller 27 with respect to the metal strip 12. The shaft may be secured in adjusted position by a nut 66 which threadedly engages the portion 60d of the shaft.

In addition to the rollers 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27, there are provided two series of rollers 67 which are similar in construction to the roller 27 described above except that they are not eccentrically mounted. The shafts 68 of these rollers are fixed in the plates or blocks 10 and 11 and the rollers bear upon the upper and lower edge portions of the strip 12 to maintain these edge portions at all times in horizontal planes except at those places where edge stretching is effected by the cooperation of the rollers 24, 25, 26 and 27 with the pairs of rollers 2t 21, 22 and 23, and particularly to maintain the edge of the strip engaged thereby in a planar datum path while the opposite edge of the strip is being stretched.

The rollers 20 to 27, inclusive, constitute the work rollers of the apparatus and, by properly adjusting these rollers in relation to each other in the manner described above, the successive stretching of edge portions of the strip at points which are alternately located along the opposite edges of the strip provide correction for any initial lateral curvature in the strip to produce a final product which is longitudinally straight.

One form of the improved apparatus of this invention has been described in connection with the description of the improved method, but it will be understood that both the apparatus and the method may be altered within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The method of removing lateral curvature from a flat metal strip in a single pass which comprises the steps, of running the strip endwise, and simultaneously stretching longitudinally both of the opposite edge portions of the strip alternately at spaced points longitudinally of the strip and along its entire length during a single pass.

2. The method of removing lateral curvature from a fiat metal strip in a single pass which comprises the steps, of running the strip endwise, and simultaneously stretching both of the edge portions of the strip longitudinally at spaced points longitudinally thereof and along its entire length during its movement in a single pass, said spaced points along one edge of the strip being staggered with respect to said points along the other edge of the strip.

3. The method of removing lateral curvature from a flat metal strip in a single pass which comprises the steps, of running the strip endwise, and simultaneously stretching longitudinally both of the opposite edge portions of the strip alternately at spaced points longitudi nally of the strip and along its entire length, and varying the amount of stretching effected at said points to cause the strip to become longitudinally straight in a single pass.

4. Apparatus for removing lateral curvature from a fiat metal strip comprising, means for moving the strip endwise, a pair of parallel supporting members, rollers carried by said members for engaging the lateral edges of said strip, fluid pressure operated means for effecting relative adjustment of said members to cause said rollers to engage said strip, and means carried by said members for engaging the sides of said strip adjacent its edges to effect the longitudinal stretching of the edge portions of said strip.

5. Apparatus for removing lateral curvature from a flat metal strip comprising, means for moving the strip endwise, a pair of parallel supporting members, rollers carried by said members for engaging the lateral edges of said strip, resilient means tending to separate said members, fluid pressure operated means for effecting movement of said members toward each other to maintain said rollers in engagement with the edges of said strip, and means carried by said members for engaging the sides of said strip adjacent its edges to efiect the longitudinal stretching of the edge portions of the strip.

6. Apparatus for removing lateral curvature from a flat metal strip comprising means for moving the strip endwise, and means engaging the opposite sides of said strip at spaced points along both edges thereof for effecting the longitudinal stretching of an edge portion of said strip at each of said points, said points along one edge of said strip being staggered with respect to said points along the other edge of the strip.

7. Apparatus for removing lateral curvature from a flat metal strip comprising, means for moving the strip endwise, pairs of spaced rollers engaging the opposite faces of said strip adjacent its longitudinal edge portions for confining said longitudinal edge portions to a predetermined planar path within a longitudinally extending zone of travel of the strip, and other rollers in said zone disposed at staggered positions along opposite sides of said zone and engaging only said edge portions of said strip between pairs of said first named rollers for momentarily deflecting each of said edge portions of said strip out of said planar path to stretch the same with respect to the intermediate portion of the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,040,398 Purmelee Oct. 8, 1912 1,252,115 Hughes Jan. 1, 1918 1,255,666 Tlheiss Feb. 5, 1918 1,841,824 Kruse Jan. 19, 1932 2,140,533 MacChesney Dec. 20, 1938 2,168,435 Bond Aug. 8, 1939 2,211,658 Hudson Aug. 13, 1940 2,213,507 Ungerer Sept. 3, 1940 2,224,086 Plumb Dec. 3, 1940 2,333,282 Wilson Nov. 2, 1943 2,355,448 Kra-tz Aug. 8, 1944 2,792,049 Peebles May 14, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,006 Great Britain of 1902 

